Tag Archives: high

7th Annual NewtonPAC Special Educator Awards

The Newton Parent Advisory Council (PAC) for Special Education is pleased to announce:

The 7th Annual NewtonPAC Special Educator Awards
Newton North High School Cafeteria, 457 Walnut Street
June 13th, 6:00 pm: Buffet Dinner, Beverages, and Mingling, 6:45 pm: Ceremony (and Dessert)

The Special Educator Awards are presented to Newton faculty and staff members who have done exceptional work with students receiving special education services. Parents/guardians and students may submit nominations and may nominate any staff member who they believe has done exceptional work; in the past we’ve had regular and special education teachers, aides, BTs, secretaries, principals, and custodians receive awards.

Nominations are now open for the awards! Please note that the awards do not identify you or your child by name, to preserve the child’s confidentiality. Only the honoree is given the name of the family who nominated him or her.

Please send your nomination to specialedawards2016@gmail.com with the following information:
Your name and your email
Your school
Your school principal’s name and email
Name and email address of the SPED contact at your child’s school (inclusion facilitator/assistant principal)
Nominee’s name and email
A brief descripton of why your nominee is so special

· Try to include details and examples (try not to just say, “Miss Smith is great!”)
· Keep the nominating paragraph to 3 sentences (we plan to read this aloud at the ceremony).
· Don’t use your child’s name. (If you do, we will edit it out for the award ceremony).
· If you like, you may also include a longer nomination or a letter to your nominee (which will not be read out loud), and will only be given to the nominee with their award.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
1. DON’T feel like you must nominate your child’s whole team to avoid hurt feelings. PLEASE only nominate those who have done exceptional work.
2. PLEASE nominate your educator ASAP (to enable your honoree to plan to attend the ceremony and bring family/friends) and to give us time to make sure we have enough food and beverage for all.
The deadline for the awards is June 3, 2016 (NO late nominations)
On the night of the awards, you can choose to have a photograph taken with your nominee

Welcome to The Conservatory

Dave Carroll, Newton music educator and previous music teacher at Memorial Spaulding elementary, is excited to announce that after many years of working on music education and collaborating with professionals in the area, he has opened a unique and exciting new music school called The Conservatory at Highlands located right next to Create a Cook in beautiful Newton Highlands. The Conservatory has a music education style that is equally inclusive and challenging.

Their education model is centered around cultivating musicianship through community and they offer many great programs taught by the best musicians in Boston: Summer Camps, Rock Bands, Private Lessons, Audio Production Classes, Special Needs Classes, Music Theory and Song Writing, Early Childhood Education, much more!

Check out their cool space, try some Instruments, and enjoy some awesome performances! Come visit at the Grand Opening:

Saturday, June 11th, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
The Conservatory
51 Winchester Street, Newton Highlands

AND…

Students will be immersed in music theory, composition, recording, beat making, and playing together (rock bands, jazz bands or chamber groups)…after each week there will be a performance where the student bands play!

If you haven’t signed up for a camp yet or are looking for some weeks to fill, this is a great way to keep your music education moving forward over the summer. All instruments and levels welcome and included.

Camp Information:
June 27th – July 1st, July 5th – 8th (discounted rate: $339), July 11th – 15th, July 18th – 22nd, July 25th – 29th, Aug 1st – 5th, Aug 8th – 12th, Aug 15th – 19th, Aug 22nd – 26th, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (Extra time can be added for late pick up, please bring your own lunch.)

Rates: $425 per Week

Sign up by emailing: info@highlandsconservatory.com or call: 617-903-9044. For more information, visit: www.highlandsconservatory.com

Interested in LigerBots?

Information Meeting on June 2nd

For students interested in technology, business, graphic design, public speaking, grant writing, STEM, or just a cool student activity, the LigerBots, Newton’s award-winning combined South and North high school robotics team, offers all those opportunities and more.

There will be a meeting for interested students on Thursday, June 2, 6:30–8:30 pm, in the Newton South wood shop, Room 9170. This will be a hands-on evening for prospective team members (including rising freshmen), with opportunities to drive a robot, use power tools, do engineering challenge games, be part of a new social media campaign and participate in other activities to help students see what makes the Ligerbots a top robotics team. Dessert will be served.

For more information, email info@ligerbots.com .

Honor Thy Teacher 2016

As the year begins to wind down, many of you are looking for a way to honor and thank the exceptional teachers and staff who have motivated, educated and inspired your students to grow and achieve all year.

As a way to show your appreciation to them, consider participating in Newton Schools Foundations’ Honor Thy Teacher campaign. This special program enables you to honor teachers by giving a gift to the Foundation in the name of the teacher. You may also choose to honor a special education aide, a fine arts or music teacher, or a coach or counselor who has made a difference in your child’s life. A suggested donation is $25 per teacher/staff member.

When you make your donation and identify the teacher(s) or staff you wish to honor, NSF will then:

· Notify the honored teachers and staff of your gift;
· Share the honoree names with the Superintendent and Principals; and
· List each of those honored in the Newton TAB.

You can make your donation on-line at www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org. You can also mail it to Newton Schools Foundation, P.O. Box 590020, Newton Centre, MA 02459.

Please be sure to include the names of the teachers and/or staff that you are honoring. A flyer that includes a donation form was sent to the homes of elementary school students in their backpacks last month, and will be sent again before the end of the year. A flyer will also be mailed to the homes of middle school and high school students (letters to senior student households have already been mailed).

Newton Schools Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds to enhance the quality of education in Newton’s public schools. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

High School Start Time Meeting – May 23

The district’s High School Start Time Working Group will hold a general information session on Monday, May 23rd at 6:00 pm at the Ed. Center to update the community on the status of its work. The presentation will include a brief review of relevant sleep science data, data from the surveys and case studies completed this year, and the opportunity for members of the community to ask questions, raise concerns and provide feedback directly to district leaders engaged in this discussion.

We look forward to your attendance and ask you to encourage others to attend as well. For additional information, please visit the high school start time section of the NPS website at: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/laterstarttime The working group will also be making its year end report to the school committee at the June 20th School Committee meeting at 6:00 pm.

Memorial Day Parade

The Annual Newton Memorial Day Parade will step off from Newton North High School on Sunday May 29th @ 3:00pm. Tyrone Powell, U.S. Airman in Vietnam, and 42 year veteran of the Newton Police Department is the parade’s Grand Marshal.

The parade features many exciting children activities along the parade route. They include Pat Patriot, Blades from the Boston Bruins, Elsa, Elmo, Winnie the Pooh, Minnie Mouse, Touch a Fire Engine with Clifford the Big Red Dog, and a giant Delta Force inflatable obstacle course.

A children’s scavenger hunt starts at 2:00pm at the Newton Senior Center. Free giveaways include American Flags, popcorn, patriotic necklaces, pinwheels and more.

Thank you for considering taking an hour out of your schedule next Sunday to come honor our veterans and those who gave everything for our country.
Please see the Parade Flyer and feel free to share with others.

College Programs @ the Library

Demystifying College Admissions, May 24th, 7:00 pm, Druker Auditorium. Are you thinking about college for your teen and feeling anxiety? Join Terry Greene Clark, local author of the book, Demystifying College Admissions: A Parent-To-Parent Guide to the Reality of the College Process to discuss the college application, the redesigned SAT, college athletics, financial aid and more. Terry will provide insight in the reality of the college process from her own experience of having sent three of her four children off to college in the last five years. Questions are welcome and encouraged. For parents (teens welcome). Register online.

Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps, June 1st, 7:00 pm, Druker Auditorium: Alan Gelb is the author of the bestselling, Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps. Alan coaches students all over the world on their personal statements. He will be conducting a workshop on how to approach this daunting assignment, answering your questions and getting you started on the most important essay you’ve ever written. For teens and parents. Register online.

College Funding Seminar, June 14th, 6:30 pm, Druker Auditorium: This New York Life seminar helps parents and grand-parents prepare for the high cost of a college education. Those who attend will leave with a greater appreciation for the difference a college education can make in a child’s future, as well as a host of information about grants, scholarships, students loans, 529 plans, and even some lesser-known ways to save for this life changing event. This program is meant for parents of younger children. Register online.

Newton Highlands Village Day 5K

The Village Day 5K is back! Parents and children are encouraged to start the morning off great by participating in the family-oriented, local Village Day 5K sponsored by Whole Foods Market. $30 per adult, $10 per child. Runners registered by May 31st are guaranteed a technical race t-shirt.

Can’t or don’t like to run? Then help out the Village Day 5K team by volunteering for the event. They need help with registration, the water stop at Cold Spring Park and race monitors on the course. It’s fun and you get a free tech t-shirt. Click this link to volunteer. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080d4ca4a72d6-newton.

Come see Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest

Newton Theatre Company’s spring show The Importance of Being Earnest

June 3rd and 4th, 7:30 pm
Newton Cultural Center at Newton City Hall

June 10th and 11th, 7:30 pm
Gregorian Rugs in Newton Lower Falls

Written in 1895 but forever modern, Wilde sends up Victorian Age mores with a twist. Fun for the whole family! Buy tickets at: Newtontheatrecompany.com

Newton Community Farm welcomes Tom Ashbrook

Please come to the Barn at Newton Community Farm on June 4th for an intimate evening of stories and conversation with Tom Ashbrook, Newton resident, farm enthusiast, and award-winning host of National Public Radio’s On Point.

Tom will share stories of growing up on his family’s farm in Illinois and discuss how that experience influences him today and informs his perspective on the place of local farms in our current agricultural system. The evening will include a conversation between Tom and Newton Community Farm’s own farmer/scholar, Greg Maslowe, a question-and-answer period, and farm-fresh hors d’oevres. A tour of the Farm will precede the conversation in the Barn, at 6:30 pm.

Tickets to this event are available for $75/$70 for Friends of the Farm, and are 75% tax deductible, and you may register here.

Proceeds will benefit the Farm’s educational program, which provide hands-on experience with farming, gardening and cooking, and teaches sustainable practices for students in pre-school through Grade 12. Please help educate the next generation of stewards of our land and food!

June 4th, 7:00 pm
Newton Community Farm